Sleeve adjuster



Oct. 11, 1955 F WALTER SLEEVE ADJUSTER Filed NOV. 12, 1954 lNvEN'roR FHA/YK WAL 75,?

OOOOO ooooooo ADJUSTER Frank WaltertAltaona, Ea-

Application November `12', 1954, Vfhariaillllo. 468,471

`sclaims. (c1. z-.fzaalf The present invention `relates to sleeve adjusters `of the character which Aare .particularlytuseful for workmen.

A purpose 4of the invention `is to :provide `a sleeve adjuster which canbe manufactured and inserted in agshirt readily `using machine methods. t

A further purpose is `to make a sleeve adjuster `readily adjustable from `outside the shirt.

A further purpose is to provide a sleeve adjuster which is adaptedtot awide variety of sleeve and arm sizes.

A'further purpose is tominirnize the tendency of the sleeve tto hang down near the elbow when the arm is lextended and thus reduce the likelihood that the sleeve clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in axial section, showing the sleeve adjuster of the invention in position to allow the sleeve to extend fully down to the wrist.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l showing the sleeve adjuster tending to hold the cuif above the wrist.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary axial section through the sleeve and sleeve adjusting collar.

Efforts have been made in the past to provide sleeve adjusters which will permit a wearer to adjust the cuff position to meet various requirements. Thus at one time it may be desired to have the sleeve extend fully down to the wrists, while at other times, to prevent soil* ing the cufs and to prevent interference in work, it may be desired to pull the sleeve partially up so that the wrist is free.

Many of the devices of this kind have been difficult to produce with ordinary sewing machines and similar equipment, and therefore have been very expensive to make.

Difficulties have also been encountered with some of the sleeve adjusters because they were uncomfortable to wear, held the sleeve in an abnormal position, and were objectionable from an appearance standpoint because the sleeve adjuster showed through the sleeve.

Other diiculties have been encountered because the sleeve adjusters have been very hot to wear. There has furthermore been a problem in making the adjustment, as in some cases it has been necessary to reach into the interior of the sleeve, or to apply diilicult manipula- United States Patent 2,719,981 Patented Get. 1 1, 1955 `2. tion from outside the sleeve, Vthus running `the danger of soiling the sleeve orcausing abnormal wear.

Further tdifliculty` has been caused in laundering bee cause some sleeve adjusters have used metallic parts which `are likely to tear or otherwise injure the shirt in passing through ironing equipment.

The device of the invention is a simplified and im: proved sleeve adjuster `whichis free from -the `above difficulties. The adjuster of the invention `can Ibe. made very simply and installed using ordinary sewing machines or hand sewing, and it Acan 'be usedfwith `a minimum of diliiculty. The sleevetis adjustable from outsidewith: out complexity and hangs in a `comfortable normal manner after adjustment.

The adjuster does not tend to distort-.the sleeve into an unusual position. The adjuster also has the `great advantage that it prevents the sleeve from hanging .down a considerable distance `below the elbow and thus pos? sibly coming into contact with `machinery or work in process.

The invention is not inconvenient in laundering as the sleeve adjuster can be .laundered with .the shirt in the usual way.

Considering now the form shown `in the drawings, the shirt is ,provided with a sleeve 20 havinga cuff 21.

`On the inside ofvthetsleeve adjacent and suitably extending above the elbow, cords 22 are secured in alongi.- tudinally extending direction rwith respect tothe vsleeve by fastening as by sewing to the sleeve at the top at 23 and at the bottom at 24. The cords are distributed in spaced relation around the interior of the sleeve, desirably 3, 4 or more being provided at equally spaced positions.

Each of the cords forms a loop 25 which extends slightly away from the inside of the sleeve and the cord passes through a gripper 26 which is located at a position corresponding to the cord around the outer edge of a sleeve adjusting collar 27. The gripper is desirably a rubber synthetic rubber tube which is slightly larger than the cord and allows space for an elongated stitch 28 of thread or the like to pass through the interior of the tube and be gathered at the side and sewed at 30 to the collar. The tube 26 desirably passes through a hole 31 in the collar.

The collar is made of fabric, and preferably a fabric having a high degree of elasticity. The preferred fabric is picot cloth, which is provided with picot eyelets 32 woven in making the cloth and allowing free ventilation in the sleeve space from above and below. The picot cloth is very elastic so that if abnormal forces are applied to one side of the sleeve the sleeve adjusting collar will by its elasticity make considerable allowance.

The sleeve adjusting collar may be made from a strip sewed together at the end at 33 to form a ring. At the inside which is to engage the arm there is a drawstring hem 34 through which is threaded a drawstring 35 suitably of elastic drawstring material such as cotton, nylon or rubber. The drawstring passes out through open ends 36 in the hem, and is then at the two ends threaded through a succession of gripping eyelets 37, 38 and 40 and 41, terminating in suitable buttons or tabs 42 at the opposite ends of the drawstring. It will be evident that one end of the drawstring can be fastened to the collar if desired.

The device may be applied to the shirt at the time of manufacture, or may subsequently be installed in the shirt by simply stitching the cords in the shirt at 23 and 24, which are the only points of attachment to the shirt.

In using the device, the wearer first adjusts the drawstring to fit the arm. It will normally be adjusted so that it will not be passed over the large portion of the elbow but will remain comfortably on the arm above the elbow.y When the shirt is to extend down toward the cui the sleeve is simply pulled down and the collar rides up on the cords 22. When on the other hand it is desired to pull up the sleeve, it is merely necessary to move the cords 22 relatively upwardly in the grippers 26, so that the collar tends to hold the sleeve from moving down. When the sleeve is nextto be pulled down this can be accomplished by merely pulling on the cutf or by pulling the cords through the collar by grasping the ends through the shirt.

Normally the drawstring merely has to be adjusted once and will be left in the adjusted position, where it is elastic.

When it is desired to launder the shirt, the adjuster is simply left in its normal position and it will go through washing and ironing without difficulty. The softness of the picot cloth aids in this respect. The softness of the picot cloth also aids in respect to resilient adjustment during wearing of the shirt.

When the wearer extends his arm, whether the sleeve adjuster is in one position or another, the sleeve adjuster tends to prevent the shirt from dropping excessively away from the elbow and against interference with equipment.

Free ventilation is permitted through the openings in the picot cloth and the picot cloth itself tends to absorb perspiration. t

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the apparatus shown, and I, therefore,

claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sleeve adjuster for use on a sleeve, a plurality of cords extending longitudinally along the inside of the sleeve in spaced relation around the inside interior, a sleeve adjusting collar having an interior surface adapted to grip the arm, and extending outwardly yfrom the interior surface to a position adjoining the sleeve around the circumference of the collar, and grippers on the collar through which the cords extend, frictionally engaging and holding the cords in any one of a selection of adjusted positions.

2. A sleeve adjuster according to claim 1, in combination with drawstring means around the interior of the collar adapted to adjust the arm engaging surface at the interior of the collar.

3. A sleeve adjuster according to claim l, in which the collar is composed of picot cloth. v t

4. A sleeve adjuster according to claim l, in which the grippers comprise elastomer tubing.

5. A sleeve adjuster according to claim 4, in which the grippers are held to the collar by stitches extending through the elastomer tubing and around the outside.

References .Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

